Rookie Jon Gabriel emerged as one of the bright spots on a night Kia suffered another blowout loss in the PBA Philippine Cup after posting 13 points and six rebounds against Meralco in his debut Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The former Colegio de San Lorenzo standout made a solid impression in 22 minutes after being placed on the active roster with Eric Camson serving a one-game suspension and veteran center Jay-R Reyes out for the second straight time with a sprained ankle.
"Para sa akin, sinuklian ko lang yung tiwala na binibigay sakin ng coach at management," Gabriel said after the Picanto's 105-76 defeat to the Bolts.
"Bonus na lang yung score e. Hustle lang ng hustle. Yun naman gusto nila e."
Gabriel took an unusual route to his first professional game, getting drafted by TNT KaTropa as the 11th overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft before his rights were traded to Phoenix in exchange for fellow first-rounder Sidney Onwubere.
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But Gabriel failed to make the cut at Phoenix and spent time completing his college career by helping San Lorenzo win the UCBL crown. Kia took notice and signed him to a two-year deal.
Despite the solid numbers, Gabriel said he was overwhelmed with the pace of play in the big league and has vowed to do more individual work in hopes of holding his own against some of the PBA's best.
"Parang sa una nangangapa ako, siyempre rookie tapos galing sa school na San Lorenzo. Parang, ganito pala sa pro, kailangan talaga magsakripisyo muna. Kailangan ko mag-adjust ng marami, kailangan ko magpakundisyon ng husto para maipasok at makita ng coaches na nagpupursigi ka," he said.
Kia coach Ricky Dandan believes Gabriel can make himself a vital part of the Picanto rotation.
"He will be very promising and we are fortunate to have him here," Dandan said. "Maybe, our bigs being gone is a blessing, because we were able to give Jon playing time, so he has a lot of promise and tend to build from that. I expect him to be part of the rotation now, we'll see." (JT)
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